Cole Brodman, T-Mobile's 46-year-old U.S. chief marketing officer, will step down this month, although he will continue on as a strategic adviser to the carrier, reports The Wall Street Journal.
"It's a retirement from T-Mobile," Brodman told WSJ. "It's an opportunity to step away, get a break and start to think about how I want to do something next."
T-Mobile is currently revamping its marketing messages to emphasize data and voice plans. It recently grabbed attention for recasting its usually pink clad poster girl, Carly, in leather motorbike gear in a spot called 'No More Mr. Nice Girl.'
Last year, the nation's fourth-largest carrier, which does not sell Apple's iPhone, saw 1.65 million contract customers leave its network. It was the object of a $39 billion takeover bid by AT&T that failed after the Justice Department deemed the merger anticompetitive.
Brodman said this year T-Mobile would increase its media spending, offer strong-selling handsets and upgrade its network to one more closely resembling AT&T's to reel in existing iPhone users.
He will be succeeded on an interim basis by Andrew Sherrard, while the company looks for a permanent replacement
Sales Buzz
American Airlines Axes Senior Posts (WSJ)
American Airlines continues to reorganize, eliminating five officer positions and taking the company's senior executive headcount down by 20%. Denise Lynn will succeed Jeff Brundage in the re-titled role of senior vice president – people.
Sears Divests Stores (Bloomberg)
Sears will spin off its Hometown and Outlet stores, possibly giving Chairman Edward Lampert the opportunity to hold a bigger stake in the new publicly traded company, which will trade on Nasdaq under the symbol "SHOS."
Groupon Taps Finance Guys for Board (Bloomberg)
Groupon has appointed finance chief of American Express, Daniel Henry, and a vice chairman at Deloitte, Robert Bass, as board directors. The move follows the daily deal site's March restatement of its earnings. Groupon's stock has plunged 42% since the restatement.
Payless Owner Chooses Buyer (Bloomberg)
Collective Brands, which owns the Payless ShoeSource chain, has reportedly chosen Wolverine World Wide and Golden Gate Capital as the leading group to buy the company. The group's offer values Collective Brands at $21 to $22 a share.
Marketing Buzz
Goldman Looks for Social Media Maven (DealBook)
Goldman Sachs is looking for social media community manager to oversee its online communities and develop a "positive presence online." Goldman, which some say can use all the help it can get in shoring up its reputation, has largely avoided using social media aggressively.
360i Hires Saatchi Exec for New Post (Ad Age)
Digital agency 360i has hired Saatchi & Saatchi's Adam Kerj as its chief creative officer, effective immediately. Kerj, who was Saatchi's executive creative director and founding partner in Stockholm, fills the newly created post after a six-month search by the Dentsu-owned agency.
Courvoisier's $24 Million Marketing Budget (Marketing Week)
Courvoisier distributor Maxxium UK will invest 15 million pounds ($24.3 million) in marketing the cognac brand this year in an attempt to ride the rising popularity of cocktails and capture market share with young adult drinkers.
MediaMath's New Agency (Ad Age)
Kepler Group is the name of MediaMath's spun off new agency, which allows advertisers to target online display ads across the Web in real time. Nine of MediaMath's clients will go on to become Kepler Group clients, including travel website Kayak.
National Trust Ramps Up Digital Marketing (Marketing Week)
U.K. conservation charity, National Trust, has launched its first social media-led marketing campaign and is looking to add 10 digital marketers, including social media specialists, to its 30-strong in-house digital team.
Buzz Around the Office
The 15 Most Memorable Ad Jingles Ever
The list includes Wrigley's "Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun," Band-Aid's "Stuck on Me" and Pepsi's "Simply Irresistible."
List of the Day: Biking to Work
Save on gas and help the environment by taking your bike to work.
1. Leave a change of clothes at the office.
2. Ensure there's a shower you can cool off in once you get there.
3. Invest in the right biking clothes.
(Source: MoneyWatch)
